It is possible to keep your wedding dress in pristine condition until death do you part. If you have never heard of the preservation process before, you’ll be surprised to know it is a concept that many modern brides embrace and invest in.

Preservation specialists use a variety of techniques to clean your gown, the first step in the preservation process. One technique they use is called wet cleaning. They delicately scrub your gown by hand to remove stains and smells (let’s be honest here, everyone perspires on the big day). Sometimes they use a dry cleaning method, pre-treating the stains and then placing the gown in a dry cleaning machine. Both methods leave the dress sparkling and as good as new.

You can next decide if you want to wrap it up and stow it away, or put your gown in a glass framed box display. It all depends on the amount of space you have in your home. When wrapping it up, preservationists use special tissue paper that will not stain the gown or cause wrinkling. It’s then placed in a box with a see through panel for your viewing pleasure. The box should be an acid-free paperboard box which is sturdy enough to support your fabulous frock.

Lucky ladies like Adrienne Maloof, star of the reality show, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” has her princess-like gown hanging on display in a large, glass box in her fabulous walk-in closet. She even has recessed lighting that shines on it, literally making it a piece of art. If you don’t have as much space as Maloof, a professional picture of your gown can be taken and beautifully framed and put on display.The main thing is your gown should be professionally packed away, safe and sound, by a preservation specialist. You can always pull it out when you want to show it off, or if you are just feeling wistful and want to take a peek to remind yourself of your treasured day!